A Super Tuesday

The caravan has left Yankee Doodles and is on the way back to the stadium after a very successful first day. I hope that many of you got the chance to see the Dodgers up close and personal and that you’re getting fired up for the season.

Tomorrow morning, we’ll be sending off the equipment truck to Vero Beach from Dodger Stadium at 9:30 and you’re all invited to come on down and be a part of it. We won’t be able to have the players sign autographs or we’ll be late for the hospital, but hopefully the players, broadcasters and former Dodgers will get the chance to come over and take some pictures and chat with those of you who come on down.

Brad Penny and Matt Kemp switched places so Brad will be with the Caravan tomorrow.

More details about the other public stops are below at a previous post, but there’s a number to call for reservations at the lunch stop and CityWalk should be hopping like in years past.

Also, on your commute, tune into KABC 790 at 8:40 for an interview with Joe Torre. Joe will also be on with Dan Patrick at 8:20 on KLAC AM 570.

Josh,🙂 Good title! Super Tuesday, but it should be “Super Fat Tuesday”. Can I take pictures at the Panda Inn? I am so looking forward to tomorrow. working late so that I can take the day off. might even go to the stadium for the sendoff. -Emma

Yankee Doodles was a fun time. It was a little long with a few hours to wait but as was said already, the guys were awesome. Russell is a real pro. He was tired but signed many autographs for the fans. I’ve never been to one of these events and am glad to have been a part of the Caravan. Go Dodgers. What a fantastic start to Spring Training.

Good story about Kemp’s intention to be a Dodger for life! As well as Martin talking about an extension beyond his 6 years of service.

From L.A Times:

From friends and relatives, Matt Kemp heard the countless trade rumors this winter that involved him. So whenever Kemp heard his cellphone ring, he braced himself for the worst.

“If you look at your cellphone and there’s a 323 number or a 310 number that you know nothing about, you’re like, ‘Oh, here we go,’ ” Kemp said.

The dreaded call never came. Still a Dodger on Tuesday, Kemp was part of the team’s caravan that made stops at the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, L.A. Marshall High, the Dodger Dream Field at Culver Marina Little League and the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica.

Of the interest that other clubs showed in him, Kemp said, “It’s a little bit flattering, but I don’t want to be on any team other than this one. This is the team that drafted me. This is the team that had faith in me to get here and this is where I want to be for the rest of my career.”

Kemp downplayed the rift in the clubhouse last season, a rift that fueled speculation that he might be traded, saying it was a result of “frustration” and “miscommunication.”

Kemp spent most of the winter working out in Arizona, sculpting a frame that he said now weighs around 220 pounds. He was up to 240 at the end of last season.

“I had to shed some pounds so I could move a little bit more,” Kemp said. “I feel quicker, I feel way stronger. Last year, I was over in the Dominican playing winter ball and I didn’t get to work out as much. I was doing baseball stuff.”

Kemp batted .342 over 98 big league games last season, including .382 in September.

Catcher Russell Martin also spent time working out in Arizona. Though Martin appeared broader-shouldered on Tuesday than he did in the fall, he said he lost weight, something he credited to reducing his body fat percentage from close to 10% to 9%.

“I feel more explosive,” Martin said.

Martin was less forthcoming when asked about General Manager Ned Colletti’s claim that his agent declined to discuss a multi-year extension that would have bought out at least some of his arbitration years.

Martin’s agent, Bob Garber, acknowledged that he never had formal talks with the Dodgers about an extension, but would not comment on the matter any further.

“It’s not up to me and Bob,” Martin said. “It’s up to the team. If the team wants to offer something legitimate, it’d be idiotic not to look at it.”

Closer Takashi Saito is “close” to signing a one-year deal with the Dodgers and should be under contract by spring training, a team source said. Saito, who made $1.2 million last season, is under the Dodgers’ control.

With the 90,505 tickets that were available for the Dodgers’ exhibition game at the Coliseum against the Boston Red Sox on March 29 already sold out, Dodgers owner Frank McCourt said the club is studying the feasibility of adding seats and selling more tickets. Seats were not available in center field, the side of the east end zone on the days the venue is used for football.

Asked if the additional seats could push the attendance past the single-game major league record of 93,103 fans, McCourt replied, “I think for sure.”

Not sure how many of you caught the article “Steinberg takes Dodgers Hollywood”…and I don’t want to be negative, but I truly hope that Dodger management is not interested in turning the Dodger Stadium experience into one like Anaheim.

I’m a season ticket holder and life long fan, for me the greatest thing about Dodger Stadium is that it’s pure baseball in an awesome venue. No gimmicks, no video games in the outfield for kids to play, no shooting tee shirts into the stands by baseball cheerleaders. We have all the off-field entertainment we need….my man the peanut vendor throwing a strike from 2 aisles away.

It’s quality time at the stadium with some one you enjoy seated next to you…and hopefully a quality game being played by our boys in blue!

According to General Manager Ned Colletti, Garber declined, and no offer was ever extended.

“It’s kind of a touchy thing,” Martin said Tuesday at the Dodgers Community Caravan event at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. “I told (Garber) if it wasn’t going to be a good offer not to even bother, so that’s the conversation that they had.”

The Panda Inn was so much fun!! Seeing our boys in Blue wearing their aprons and coming around our tables was so awesome! My friends and I had a great time! James Loney and Pepe were serving our table. I don’t know where Tommy get all his energy. He even had energy to show us his dancing moves at the Universal City walk. We hope the event at the Panda Inn is done again next year. Next Vero Beach or Bust! Thank so much for everyone that put this together!

Ran into Saito-san at the stadium. I guess he was going to workout there. I asked him if he had song for next year. Thru an interpreter he said he was working on one but if not he will go back to the one from last year (bad to the bone).

Loney looks ready to start the season, so does Penny, Ethier, Kuroda.

thank you Ethier, Loney, Pepe, Tommy, Kuroda, Karros, Babo, Kenny. I don’t know where Tommy get all his energy. He even had energy to show us his dancing moves at the Universal City walk. I did not get any autographs there, but I could see some of you were tired but there you were still signing. There were so many people on line. Some people bring too many things to sign. I hope our boys got a break.

thank you Josh and everyone else involved in organizing the caravan. I can only imagine all the work involved. We are ready for the season to start! Let’s go Dodgers! :clap: :clap:

I was one of the Dodger fans fortunate enough to participate in the caravan stop at Panada Inn and it was amazing. This was such a great idea for an event! Thank you and the rest of the PR team for putting that together. The setting was so close and intimate, it was truly my most memorable experiences as a fan of the Dodgers! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

What gave you all the idea for this? Last year’s stop to Islands? What a great idea this was!

Also, a very special thanks to all the Dodgers who participated, especially James Loney, my table’s server!

Wow, Ethier is a lot more magnanimous about the outfield situation than I’d be. Seems all the kids have good attitudes, and are “team” guys. Nice to see them going on the caravans too – just a little thing but it builds camaraderie. I’m happy to see Kent coming in from TX and joining in too. BTW, where’s JP?

Looks like Furcal’s ready to tear up the league this year. With him playing 2nd in the CWS, is it possible they sign him and slide him over to Kent’s position in ’09? Be interesting.

I suppose the equipment van has already gone by on I-10, but I waved at it in spirit! Its not long now!!

Erik,
I am still on cloud 9 about the Panda Inn event. It was so good seeing you and Lorena yesterday. We have not seen each other since we went to work on the Dodger float and attended the parade. Well, soon we will see each other more often when the season starts. I can’t wait! Love is Blue! Blue is Love!

After reading the Ethier story today, the more I feel like I’m going to vomit if I hear any more ridiculous garbage about a “crowded outfield”. What a freaking joke. Even to mention Kemp’s name as well!?!?!

Come on LA beat reporters! Juan Pierre is the elephant in the room here and a lowsy noodle-armed one at that!

Hey Josh,
Thanks to you and the Dodgers on a wonderful caravan it was awesome!! I was able to go to both days to meet the boys in blue..once again met some great people in line while waiting but it was well worth it!!!!

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